She’s had her license plate for 15 years, but now the state finds it “inappropriate.”
There’s no denying that personalized license plates add a sprinkle of individuality to our car-loving lives. For those who dare to stand out, these little metal canvases serve as personal billboards, letting you flaunt your creativity and quirkiness on the road. But, like a vigilant parent at a teenager’s party, the DMV sometimes steps in to curb the fun—especially when a vanity plate crosses the boundary into what they consider ‘contentious’ territory.
Enter Wendy Auger, a bartender from the Gonic neighborhood in Rochester, New Hampshire. Wendy’s been zipping around with her beloved vanity plate reading “PB4WEGO” for fifteen glorious years, lighting up the roads and the faces of everyone who can appreciate a bit of humorous parenting pragmatism on wheels. But just when she thought her cheeky plate was safe, along comes the state with an unexpected rejection notice, claiming her plate was “inappropriate.”
Surely, “PB4WEGO” doesn’t need much of a translation, but for those who skipped Parenting 101: it’s a clever reminder to “pee before we go.” Auger sees this as simply good, homespun advice—handy for parents worldwide. The sentiment is far from offensive, she argues; it’s practical, relatable, and, dare we say, essential. But the DMV, acting like a school principal reigning in the class clown, wasn’t buying it.
Wendy didn’t just stumble upon this playful gem. Oh no, she hunted for it. For years, she eagerly awaited its availability, seizing her moment of triumph with the glee of a child on Christmas morning. The character limit for New Hampshire vanity plates had recently increased from six to seven, a celebratory shift that allowed “PB4WEGO” to grace her car’s backside.
The state, however, has rules grounded in a decision made years ago due to a court order from the NH Supreme Court. These rules, they claim, are precise and leave little room for exception.
Now, the question looming large: Should Wendy be forced to swap out her vanity plate after cherishing it for a whopping fifteen years?
